Timing device.



W. H. MOORE.

TIMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1916- 1,228,347. Patented May 29, 1917.

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W. H. MOORE.

TIMING DEVICE.

APPLICAHON FILED MAR. 21. ms.

11,228,347. Patented May 29,1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

WALTER H. MOORE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES H. BELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TIMING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. Moonn, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timing Devices, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the ac companying drawings.

The invention relates more particularly to a timing device which is especially adapted tci be used for timing carrier pigeons or the li re.

Prior to my invention, timing devices of the above character have been constructed and used wherein there is a receptacle adapted to receive the identifying tag, which receptacle is closed by a shutter which is locked in closed position and the closing of the shutter releases a watch movement. Inasmuch as the time period of the running of the watch movement until the timing de vice is opened becomes a factor in determining the time period of flight, the speeding of the watch movement by abnormal movements of the balance wheel may be utilized to produce false returns.

An object of the present invention is to provide a brake mechanism which is applied to some moving part of the watch movement when the balance wheel is given an abnormal throw and to provide mechanism for holding the brake applied for a time interval so that any attempt to improperly accelerate the watch movement may be with certainty detected.

In the drawings Figure I, is a verticalsectional view through the casing of a timing device having the improvements applied thereto.

Fig. II, is a plan view of a portion of the watch movement and the improved brake operating mechanism.

Fig. III, is a sectional view on the line III, III, of Fig. II.

Fig. IV, is a detail view showing the brake applied to the roller table and held locked in engagement therewith.

Fig. V, is a perspective view of the controlling plate carrying the brake arm and the holding pawl for locking the brake in engagement with the roller table.

Fig. VI, is a detail in perspective showing the operatinglever for moving the controlling plate.

Fig. VII, is an edge View showing the center wheel and the brake plate with the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the center wheel.

Fig. VIII, is a view similar to Fig. VI, showing a slightly modified form of the invention, and

Fig. IX, is a perspective view of the operating levers for the controlling plate.

In carrying out the invention, one of the movable parts of the watch movement is provided with a shiftable plate which has frictional engagement with the moving part and which is restrained from movement with said part by a lever carrying a stop lug against which the pallet strikes as it swings to release the escapement wheel. This controlling plate carries a. brake arm which is moved into contact with the roller table or some movable part of the watch movement by an abnormal movement of the pallet due to accelerating the balance wheel beyond its normal throw. This controlling plate is formed with a locking member which engages the movable part of the watch movement on which it rests and holds the brake applied until the moving part of the watch movement carrying the controlling plate turns a suflicient distance to release the brake.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the timing device consists of a supporting base 1, on which a watch movement 2, is mounted, and the watch movement is inclosed in a casing 3, which has a threaded connection 4, with the supporting base 1. Suitable means (not shown) is provided for sealing the connection between the casing and the supporting base. Said supporting base is formed with a movable member 5, having a receptacle to receive an identifying tag, and when this movable member 5, is pushed to its inward position as shown in Fig. I, it operates to release the stop 6, which controls the watch movement. The locking of the receptacle and the releasing of the watch movement is common in the art and forms no part of the present invention, and further detailed description thereof is not thought necessary.

The watch movement includes a center wheel 7 which is rotated by a spring barrel 8, and this center wheel, through a train of gears, operates the escapement wheel 9. Cooperating with the escapement wheel 9, is a pallet 10. The pallet 10, is adapted to be engaged by a roller jewel 11, carried by the roller table 12, which is attached to and moves with the balance wheel 13. These parts are of the usual construction.

Mounted on the center wheel 7, is a controlling plate 1a, which, as herein shown, is in the form of a disk (see Fig. V), having a central opening 15, adapted to receive the hub gear of the center wheel. This controlling plate is formed with a brake arm 16, and a holding pawl 17, and is also formed with an opening 18. A lever 19, is pivoted at 20, and is formed with an upturned lug 21, which takes the place of one of the banking stops for the pallet lever 10. The pivot pin 20, for the lever 19, is the other banking stud, and this extends above the lever so as to be engaged by the pallet lever. The banking pin at 22, is cut away so that the pallet lever may swing over the top of the same, and this banking pin extends into slot 23, in the lever. The lever is formed with an arm 2%, having an upturned end 25, which projects up through the opening 18, in the controlling plate. This arm 24-, extends underneath the controlling plate. This controlling plate is preferably dished so that it has contact with the center wheel throughout only a portion of its periphery, thereby reducing the frictional contact to a minimum. The controlling plate also extends underneath the barrel 8, containing the main spring, and this tends to hold the plate in position so that it rests freely on the center wheel and with sutlicient friction so as to turn with the center wheel unless restrained in its movement. The upturned end 25, of the arm 2%, normally restrains this movement of the controlling plate so that as the pallet lever 10, swings against the lug 21, which is the banking stop for the pallet lever, said controlling plate will be held from movement or stepped back a sufficient distance to maintain the lug 21, or banking pin in proper position for the normal running of the watch movement. The brake 16, is so positioned that any abnormal movement of the pallet lever 10, will turn the controlling plate so as to bring said brake into contact with the roller table of the balance wheel. In other words, if the timing device be oscillated with the idea of accelerating the balance wheel, and thus accelerating the watch movement, this accelerated movement of the balance wheel will give to the pallet 10, an abnormal throw. This abnormal throw of the pallet will swing the lever 19, so as to move the controlling plate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. II, and IV, and this movement of the controlling plate brings the brake arm into contact with the roller table. The movement of the controlling plate above referred to carries the pawl 17 back on the center wheel, and the pawl dropping between the teeth of the center wheel will lock the controlling plate to the center wheel, and this in turn holds the bra e applied. Even though the accelerating of the balance wheel cease and the throw of the pallet 10, becomes normal, the brake will be held applied until the center wheel, which turns in the direction of the arrow in Fig. II, that is a countercloclnvise direction, moves a sufficient distance to withdraw the brake from contact with the roller table.

If the brake is applied only to a suflicient extent to retard the movements of the center wheel, the above action takes place. If,

however, the abnormal movements are sul'licient to throw the brake against the center wheel with clamping action which stops the balance wheel, then the parts will be held locked in this position until the center Q wheel is forced around to brakereleasing position or the pawl 17, is lifted and the controlling plate moved around to releasing position. In either case, after the brake is applied, it will be held applied for a time interval, which time interval will be sulficiently long to permit the turning of the center wheel to release the brake or which time interval extends to the manual lifting of the controlling plate from the center wheel or the forced actuation of the center wheel so as to release the brake. By this mechanism, any attempt to beat the timing device by accelerating the balance wheel will produce such a retarding action on the l: i

watch movement as to more than overcome the gain through the accelerating of the balance wheel.

In Figs. VIII and IX, is shown a slightly modified form of the invention. The lever 19, is made in two parts, indicated at 26, and 27. The part 26, is pivoted on the pin 28, which is cut off flush with the top of the lever, while the part 27 is pivoted on the pin 29, which is also cut off flush with the top of the lever. The member 26, has an upwardly extending lug 30, while the member 27, has an upwardly extending lug 31. These lugs 30, and 31, take the place of the banking pins. The member 26, is formed with a gear tooth 32, which meshes between gear teeth 33 formed on the mem ber 27, of the lever so that a movement of the lug 30, outward away from the lug 31, through this gear connection imparts a movement to the lug 31, in the opposite direction. An overthrow of the pallet lever in the direction of the lug 30, will, therefore, move the upstanding end 37, of the lever in a direction so as to move the controllin plate to apply the brake and a movement 0 the lug 31, through any overthrow of the pallet 10, will produce a like movement to the upstanding end 37 and apply the brake. The operation of the parts, except for the features of construction stated, are as those above described.

The lever 19, is held in operative position by a spring arm 35, which is secured at 36, to the supporting plate of the watch movement and the free end of this spring arm bears against the lever and holds it on its support. In Fig. VIII, the spring arm 35, is formed with an enlargement at its outer end so as to overlap both members of the lever and hold them in operative position.

The parts comprised by my invention are extremely light, so that there is absolutely no interference with the normal operation of the watch movement.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as precisely set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A timing device including in combination with a watch movement, of a brake adapted to engage a moving part of the watch movement, means controlled by the movement of the pallet beyond its normal throw for applying said brake to a moving part of the watch movement, and means con trolled by a moving element of the watch movement for holding the brake applied.

2. A timing device including in combination with a watch movement, of a brake adapted to engage the moving part of the watch movement, means controlled by the movement of the pallet beyond its normal throw for applying said brake to a moving part of the watch movement, and means controlled by a moving element of the watch movement for holding the brake applied, said brake being released by a movement of said holding element in its normal travel.

3. A timing device including in combination with a watch movement having a center wheel, a balance wheel, a roller table and a pallet, of a brake adapted to engage the roller table, means operated by a movement of the pallet beyond its normal throw for moving said brake into engagement with the roller table, and means cooperating with the center wheel for holding the brake applied, said center wheel in its normal travel releasing the brake.

4:. A timing device including in combination with a watch movement having a center wheel, a balance wheel, a roller table and a pallet, of a controlling plate frictionally engaging the center wheel, a brake movable by said controlling plate into engagement with the roller table, a lever having a lug forming one of the banking pins for the pallet and having a lug engaging said controlling plate, whereby a movement of the pallet beyond its normal throw will move the lever and shift the controlling plate for applying the brake.

5. A timing device including in combination with a watch movement having a center wheel, a balance wheel, a roller table and a pallet, of a controlling plate frictionally engaging the center wheel, a brake movable by said controlling plate into engagement with the roller table, a lever having a lug forming one of the banking pins for the pallet and having a lug engaging said controlling plate whereby a movement of the pallet beyond its normal throw will move the lever and shift the controlling plate for applying the brake, said controlling plate having a pawl adapted to engage the teeth of the center wheel for holding the controlling plate with the brake applied until said center wheel turns a sufficient distance for releasing the brake.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this twenty-third day of March, 1916.

WALTER H. MOORE.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. BELL, THOMAS W. KERR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

